Season 4 premiered tonight. I would have bumped the season three thread but I titled it "season 3," which no longer seems appropriate.

Who saw it? It was a stupendous hour of television. All sorts of shit has happened in the eleven months that have passed (in-story) between the formation of Sterling Cooper Draper Price and the beginning of season 4. The premeir was stepped in the juices of the sexual revolution. It also had a lot to say about the increasing role of the media in the success or failure of things. It was great to see Don fail a little bit, and it was exciting to consider the future implications at the end of Don crafting a public/media persona that is completely unlike his actual personality.

I which way? I thought where their firm was at the point of the opener seemed about right. There had to be some gray area of startup vs. success/failure.

That's what I mean.

There's no way it would have been a failure, because it's all about Don Draper. So that little exercise was unwarranted. They could have referenced the Ad Age article by following it up with the WSJ. That was way too extrapolated, IMO.

There's a weird vibe going on with the new husband and I'm glad they pushed that a little further. But the daughter rebelling was typical (as was the boy ignoring it all).

We've seen Don cover Peggy's ass all too many times, IMO.

They need to move forward, not try to inundate new viewers to the past.

Entourage pulls this shit each year and it's usually at least two episodes in (if not more) before it's watchable.

There's no way it would have been a failure, because it's all about Don Draper. So that little exercise was unwarranted. They could have referenced the Ad Age article by following it up with the WSJ. That was way too extrapolated, IMO.

There's a weird vibe going on with the new husband and I'm glad they pushed that a little further. But the daughter rebelling was typical (as was the boy ignoring it all).

We've seen Don cover Peggy's ass all too many times, IMO.

They need to move forward, not try to inundate new viewers to the past.

Entourage pulls this shit each year and it's usually at least two episodes in (if not more) before it's watchable.

Just my take, but without this episode the change in professional persona's that Draper made during that episode would have been pretty odd without it.

He has always been the shadowy brilliant guy that comes out of the shadows to drop his pitch. Now he has become the driving force of the firm and hence the change to the WSJ interview as well as his telling the bikini conservative guys to get the **** out.

Just my take, but without this episode the change in professional persona's that Draper made during that episode would have been pretty odd without it.

He has always been the shadowy brilliant guy that comes out of the shadows to drop his pitch. Now he has become the driving force of the firm and hence the change to the WSJ interview as well as his telling the bikini conservative guys to get the **** out.

I guess that's where we differ: He's ALWAYS been that guy.

Once he realized that his personal life was invading his professional space, he snapped back "into place" and became the calm, cool, electrifying Don Draper we all know.

I think it would have been FAR more interesting if the Korean Vet that interviewed him actually knew a "Don Draper", instead of what occurred.

For the first time ever in this series, I feel that Weiner dropped the ball. He may redeem himself down the line with an episode that ties into this one in a big way, but it still felt like an "introductory" episode to me.